Locksmithing/Victor Safe

QuestionI currently have a old Victor safe, on the front it says "Biggest Award Grand Prize" St Louis 1904. The handle reads: "Sargent & Greenleaf Inc." "Rochester N.Y., the center of the dial has a letter "S" and the letter "G" intertwined. This safe has4 metal wheels and is approximately 3 feet off the ground, 2feet wide, and, 2 feet in depth.
Is the safe worth having it drilled or is it worth more not drilled? If not, is there another way of opening without this process? Also, what does it cost to have drilled if that is the way to go?
Lynn

AnswerHi Lynn,

Actually the decal states "Highest Award - Grand Prize".
1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, Participant – Dept. D, group 41, #0055. Won a grand prize for their EXHIBIT, and NOT any individual safe. Dates of the Exposition were April 30th, 1904 until December 1st, 1904.
Safes bearing this decal were built and sold from 1905 through about 1915. This decal was placed on pretty much everything that Victor Safe & Lock Company sold for "ADVERTISING" purposes.

Victor Safe and Lock Company did not use S&G dials or locks, so if this has been replaced, there is a chance that this safe may have been drilled previously.

Opening and repairing of this container should run between $300 to $500 plus any parts, though I don't believe that I would recommend anyone that couldn't open it without inflicting further damage, including replacing parts which shouldn't be on this container.

There is the possibility that the lock inside the safe is still original and that only the dial has been changed out.

As far as your questions concerning "whether or not it is worth having the safe opened", you have to determine this. What is worthwhile to me (or anyone else), may not be worthwhile to you. The best that I can offer is to evaluate the container AFTER it has been opened and repaired, then you can determine whether or not it was worth your time (and/or money).

As far as "MY" opinion goes, I would always recommend opening and saving every safe, but that's just me. If you are planning on selling the safe, then it needs to be open and operational. If you are planning on using it, then I would counsel against using it to store cash, jewelry or any valuable documents - get a better, newer safe for these purposes. If you are planning on simply using it as a decoration, display item or conversation piece, I think that it has a lot of potential.

If you don't have a local safe company (not a locksmith) in your area, I'll need to know where you are located (zipcode) so that I can recommend some companies in your area.

Hope this helps. If you need it evaluated AFTER it has been opened, I can do this for you as well.

Expertise

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